THE BLOG.
Honesty Hour: Why You Need To Avoid Building Your Own Construction Website.
It’s tempting. To design and build your own construction website. With the likes of Wix, Go Daddy and Square Space all offering a place online where even the most novice to marketing can ‘build a website’. But just because you can, does that mean you should? Just because I own a saw and a ladder does that mean I can call myself a Tree Surgeon and sort out the Oak Tree at the bottom of the garden? Just because I own a paintbrush and a tin of paint, do I have the skill to paint the entirety of my rental property? Just because I did ok in science at school and know what each colour wire in a plug is for, does that mean I’m fit to rewire my house? No. Why? Because a branch of that tree I start sawing could knock me off my ladder and hurt me. Because that tin of paint I have (that’s been in the garage for a decade) is actually white fence paint. Is that good for ceilings? And the electrics… I don’t even need to explain that one. Let’s look at all the reasons why even if you are thinking about building you own website, you should avoid it at all costs for the long run…
Creative Ideas: How Your Team Can Help Boost Your Trade & Construction Marketing.
You know that your Trade and Construction marketing is just as important to your business as your work ‘On the Tools’ itself, right? How else will people know you exist to use you in the first place. Exactly. But juggling your brand and marketing all by yourself can be tough. Especially when you’re wearing a lot of different (hard) hats in your business. You do the bookkeeping, sales, admin, operations, on the tools AND marketing. To name but a few. But for those of you with Team Members, you have some help right under your nose. And you didn’t even realise it. There are lots of ways that your small (but mighty) team can help you with your Trade and Construction marketing ideas – and help lighten the load. These ideas work well for teams big or small. And if managed correctly can do wonders to your business visibility. Once you’ve fine-tuned them all, you may even decide to include some of these tasks in the job roles of your team and as part of your recruitment contracts. Executed well, these construction marketing ideas not only help build your brand centrally, but also make you more visible to a wider audience by utilising the audiences your Teams may already have. Without further ado, let’s drill down into how our Team Members can help boost our Trade and Construction marketing…
Productivity Hack: Win Back 11+ Hours A Week For Your Construction Marketing.
Hold onto your hard hats, as these super simple but effective productivity hacks for your Trade and Construction marketing could change the way you work in your business. According to statistics, the average UK user spends 110 minutes on Social Media, per day. For anyone else who is useless at quick math, that’s nearly 2 whole hours. That’s over 11 hours a week. What could you do with that time? And do we think that whole 110 minutes is spent working on our business, replying to customers, networking in groups where we can start getting some enquiries – being productive? I think not. So, if I save you 11 hours on social media alone, then I’ve done my job with this blog, right? Well, that’s only one of the things I’m going to help you with. The other hacks are a bunch of corkers too.
How To Use Christmas To Kick-Start Your Construction Business’s Best Year Ever.
Construction Marketing Idea: Send Christmas Cards to your current and past clients and Branded Christmas Gifts to those who are on big contracts with you. This small gesture can seriously leverage the way people think about you and your Construction brand. And this works for both residential and commercial customers alike. You just have to think about who you are sending the cards and gifts to, to make sure everything about this is in keeping with what your Ideal Client would appreciate. So, here’s a list of all the reasons you should HIGHLY consider sending branded Christmas Card and/or gifts to your Trade and Construction customers this year and why it will help set your business up for an even better ‘next year’...
Perfect Examples Of How Your Personal Brand On Social Media Is Ruining Your Construction Marketing.
As a business owner in the construction industry, you know that first impressions are everything. In today's digital age, that first impression is often made on social media before you even have a chance to shake someone's hand. That's why it's so important to make sure your personal brand on social media is up to par. The most successful Trade and Construction businesses I know and have worked with for the last decade are those who are led with directors and team members that have exceptional personal brands. Keep reading to learn more about how poor personal branding can ruin your construction marketing.
Construction Marketing Ideas You Never Thought Of.
Construction marketing ideas you never thought of – but desperately need. You run a construction business. And you’re good at what you do. Trouble is – there’s a tonne of competition around you. Who offer the same services. You already know your value, and that there’s no way you’re just going to under-cut others as a way of getting the job. Because you’re clued up. You know that only leads to cash flow issues, stress and all the other bad stuff you do not need or want in your life. So, what can you do? Well. There are so many other Trade and Construction companies out there that, when it comes to the workmanship of the actual job itself, are great at what they do too. Just like you. Which means that for your Trade and Construction company to stand out, you need to dig deeper. And in fact, it’s the smaller details in what you do OFF THE TOOLS that mean your construction business is more visible, credible, and memorable. And many of them are easier than you think. Let’s run through some construction marketing ideas you never thought of that you can start implementing in your construction business right now to get a step ahead of the competition.
An Honest Review Of BNI For Your Trade And Construction Marketing.
Networking is a HUGE part of your Trade and Construction brand and marketing. Where you spend your time, who you associate with, how you present yourself. You are out there as an individual representing your business. And HOW, WHERE, WHY and WHAT you do reflects the business we can expect to experience behind the person. Personal branding comes hugely into play when networking. A story for another time. Done well, networking can help skyrocket your Trade and Construction brand and marketing. Done badly, it can bring your business crashing down through the ceiling. Before we begin. I am in no way, shape, or form on any kind of commission or sales team for BNI. This blog – like all others - is being written from a stance of regular conversations and questions that pop up between myself and my Trade and Construction clients. So worth me writing me about. And as BNI (Business Network International) is the biggest networking organisation in the WORLD, it’s no wonder I get lots of questions about it. I was a member for 10 years before my business (and life) changed and I decided to step down. Who knows if I’ll be back in the future. I’ve seen it all – the good, the bad and the ugly. Hopefully you’ll my insights helpful. It’s written by somebody who benefitted hugely from it, took on every role possible (even running my own group) but who also had my own views on things that could have been done differently. Which positions me perfectly on the fence to see both sides and give you an unbiased review from how I saw the membership experience benefit or hinder the progress of my Trade and Construction clients – for over a decade. Let’s drill down.
Why Steve Nailed His Brand With This Flooring Tip for his Construction Video Marketing.
You need to consider tip videos as part of your Trade and Construction marketing. It’s one of the most powerful ways to build your brand. Construction tip videos positions you as the expert for your Trade. You can film them yourself (no film crew required). Super-efficient if the job you’re working on entails this tip anyway. Perfect for short, consistent social media content. We get to know, like and trust you and your team. Take a leaf out of Steve’s book. Watch his Construction Tip Video for his flooring business and follow suit. Despite our client Steve making this video look seamless (I couldn’t resist the pun) there’s a lot that Steve is doing that makes this blockbuster so epic. Let’s break it down, so you too can start making game-changing tip videos for your Trade and Construction marketing too…
Challenge: Go Live For 7 Days With These Ideas To Build Your Trade and Construction Marketing.
Here’s exactly why you need to consider social media Lives for your Trade and Construction brand and marketing. For those Trade and Construction owners who may not know what a ‘Live’ is – it’s a video tool on many of the social media platforms where instead of recording a video and then uploading to your page, you can stream a video in real time to your audience so they can see exactly what you’re up to right now and interact – think of it as your own Live TV. We get to know what services you offer in your Trade and Construction business. See the people behind your Trade and Construction business. Familiarise ourselves with faces and voices. There are opportunities for exposure to your brand – think branded workwear, branded vehicles etc. And begin the KNOW-LIKE-TRUST factor before we’ve even enquired. I’ve designed you a 7-day challenge. A different idea for everyday of the week. The power in going Live (like anything social media related) is about consistency. Let’s drill down into those ideas…
Win More Customers With The Help Of Your Fellow Trade And Construction Buddies.
If many hands make light work, how does this apply to building your Trade and Construction marketing? There is a lot you can do as a small group of focused, dedicated, local Trades that club together and want to help build each other’s Trade and Construction businesses. That isn’t a huge commitment. At little or even no cost at all. I’m going to share with you some simple ideas on how to win more customers for your Trade and Construction business with the help of your fellow Trades. But before I go into these epic game-changers I have a few warnings for you that will help you out…
Honesty Hour: How You’re Screwing Up Facebook Groups For Your Trade And Construction Marketing.
Done right and done well, the right Facebook Groups can be a GAME CHANGER for your T&C marketing. I’m going to give it to you straight. There’s a high chance that you are making some serious mistakes when it comes to using Facebook Groups as part of your T&C marketing. And I don’t blame you. It’s another Facebook page, right? Somewhere for you to promote your business offers, right? Where just by joining you can tick off the list of ‘things I’ve done for my T&C marketing,’ right? And expect the enquiries to just come rolling in, right? Wrong. Facebook Groups are a TOTALLY different kettle of fish to what you think. And day-in day-out, we see tonnes of branding mistakes going on by Trade and Construction companies in these Groups. But I’ve also watched Facebook Groups help take one of my Trade clients from a one-man band to an 18 strong team. So, let’s start by kicking all the mistakes you might be making in there to the curb…
Intermediate Guide: Branding Your Trade And Construction Facebook Marketing.
Facebook is hot property in building your Trade and Construction marketing. It’s free. Relatively easy to use. Quick to access on the go. There are hundreds of thousands of Trade and Construction businesses using Facebook. Yet we see so many Trade and Construction companies doing it wrong. We see even more miss out on some epic little tricks that could help their Facebook marketing generate more enquiries. And play a big part in turning Trade and Construction enquiries to actual jobs. So, we’re going to share with you some ‘tricks of the trade’ that you could use to level up your Facebook brand and marketing. Because we’re good like that.
Looking To Create A Money-Making Trade and Construction Video Testimonial? Here’s 5 Questions To Ask Your Client.
Trade and Construction testimonial videos are a MUST for your business marketing. But this DOESN’T HAVE to mean a professional film production video. Though this is epic if you are able to do this. There are other ways to capture great client experiences that can make for money-making branded testimonial videos. You can record it yourself on your phone. Or you can ask your client to record a selfie video on their own phone to send to you. But what do clients need to say in the videos that can DRIVE your Trade and Construction marketing? It is YOUR responsibility to help tease the ‘good stuff’ out of your clients. And the best way to do this is to ask specific questions that you want captured for your Trade and Construction marketing. Here's 5 fundamental questions to get answers for to create money-making testimonials for your Trade and Construction marketing…
Good or Bad: The One Category BNI Rule For Trades And Construction Marketing.
For those Trade and Construction business owners who don’t know. Networking is huge for your Trade and Construction Brand and Marketing. BNI is an organisation that has ‘chapters’ (networking groups) all over the world. And globally, is THE most successful networking organisation. Intro out the way. This point of view looks at both sides of the coin. To help Trade and Construction business owners understand from the get-go whether this is the place for you or not when it comes to ‘category breakdowns’. New to networking or a long-standing member, we cover things to look out for to protect your category within your membership. So, you get the most and best out of your experience. Let’s dive in.
5 Easy Communication Tweaks To Level Up Your Trade and Construction Brand And Marketing.
What if I told you, you are 40% more likely to get a call from your Trade and Construction marketing if you advertise a landline number vs a mobile number? Mind blowing. It just goes to prove that the tiniest details in your Trade and Construction marketing can make the biggest difference. How you communicate in your business is serious stuff. From your vehicle fleet designs, to your business card designs, branded workwear, all the way down to how you answer the phone. Yet there are some teeny tiny details that Trade and Construction companies overlook. That are a MASSIVE part of your marketing. The telephone number you use. The email address you give. The Social Media names you promote. Here's how to make sure you are nailing it.
5 Reasons Your Trade And Construction Brand And Marketing Isn’t Working.
You’ve been working on your Trade and Construction brand and marketing. Doing everything you think you should be doing. But. You’re not getting enough leads. Or you’re working through lots of time-wasting enquiries. Your marketing just doesn’t seem to be doing the trick. We see the same mistakes Trade and Construction businesses are making on their marketing over and over. We thought it might be helpful to share with you why your brand and marketing might not be working with the top 5, most frequent reasons we see on the daily. How many of these mistakes are you making?
What Your Trade And Construction Facebook Cover Design Is Missing.
It could be considered a tiny area of your Trade and Construction branding and marketing - your Facebook Cover photo design. For those not in the know that is the rectangular space you see at the top of your Facebook business page that you are able to customise. Not enough Trade and Construction companies are using this to their full advantage. Why should you pay so much attention to my Facebook Cover Design? Because everything you do in your brand and marketing reflects your Trade and Construction business - when customers land on your Facebook page it is the first thing they see and makes that all important first impressions and your Facebook page might be the first part of your marketing a potential customer encounters when it comes to your business. In a matter of seconds, we want your Ideal Client to feel they are in the right place and that it is YOU that can help solve their problems. So yes. It might seem like a tiny part of your Trade and Construction brand and marketing. But boy, is it mighty. Here’s how you nail it…
How Metin Built His Start-Up Trade Business By Building His Brand And Marketing During A Pandemic.
Building your Trade and Construction business takes hard work – let alone starting up during a worldwide pandemic. Disinfection company owner, Metin, tells us how he focused on his brand and marketing to ensure clients understood exactly what he offered in his Trades business and why they needed his services right now. How our Ideal Client Workshop, Brand MOT and monthly Get Shit Done marketing sessions helped steer him in the right direction. Going from struggling to get his foot in the door, to becoming the go-to experts for local education and nursery owners – all by revisiting his brand and marketing. Epic. Here’s his full story.
Websites Vs Social Media. Which One Should I Use For My Trade And Construction Company?
Which should I focus on for my Trade and Construction brand and marketing – websites or social media? It’s a question we get asked a lot. Both play such a huge part in marketing for most businesses nowadays. To help you work this out for your Trade and Construction business, we’ve put together a list of pros and cons for each. So, in case you’ve been banging your head against a (very well rendered) brick wall, we’ve done all the thinking for you. Because we’re good like that.
Checklist: 7 Tricks To Nail Your Trade And Construction Website Homepage Design.
Your website homepage design for your Trade and Construction company is more important to your brand and marketing than you think. Getting the design right can be the difference in a client making an enquiry or heading straight back to Google search to check out your competitors instead. Is your website homepage giving us all the information we need to stay put and investigate if your Trade and Construction business further? Here's our 7 Trick Checklist we use to make sure our Trade and Construction website homepage designs do all the heavy lifting for our clients…